Serving Our Home State

November 21, 2017by Jere W. Morehead, President

When the coastal Georgia city of St. Marys decided to address the impacts of changing
sea levels and severe storms, the city reached out to the University of Georgia to
form a collaboration with local leaders, property owners, and schoolchildren to protect
the historic community of about 17,500 people. By connecting with UGA experts, the
community was able to help residents better navigate flood insurance policy, raise
awareness about contamination in drinking water, and develop an emergency communications
plans.

This productive partnership is emblematic of the ways in which UGA, as the state’s
land- and sea-grant institution, works with communities. Through longstanding initiatives,
UGA leverages institutional resources to help local groups solve self-identified needs,
such as economic development, leadership training, and disaster preparedness. This
comprehensive approach led to an estimated impact of $5.25 billion on Georgia last
year alone.

The deep connection between the institution and its home state is one of its defining
characteristics of the University of Georgia. The future of this state and its flagship
University go hand in hand, and we are proud of the many partnerships, such as this
one with the city of St. Marys, that help to support all 159 counties across Georgia.